It’s hard to talk to ANSON and not walk away smiling. His positivity permeates and it’s no surprise that he loves the band Mayday Parade. Read below for our conversation ranking their six album catalog and then listen to his latest full-length A Note For You To Find…:
6. Monsters In the Closet (2013)
AL: One album has to be last, as they’re all my favorite, so it’s ranked here. However, “12 Through 15” is a great underrated song.
SW: Sorry, not sorry.
AL: I think that Monsters In The Closet suffered by coming out shortly after their almost perfect self-titled album and felt a little rushed to me.
SW: More on album #3 later. It’s certainly nothing you could live without, nothing you could do about.
AL: Metaphorically, this ghost is you.
SW: Thanks.
5. Anywhere But Here (2009)
AL: No problem! The ten-year anniversary show for this record at the Roxy was amazing.
SW: I saw you there! We were like kids in love.
AL: (laughs) Save your heart, Scott!
SW: K. This album got panned when it came out, but it aged well. Many great tunes.
AL: It was on the nose with its catchiness, especially for a scene major label release. Every song sounded like a radio hit.
SW: I wish that the world made Anywhere But Here its own center of attention.
4. Black Lines (2015)
AL: Black Lines was certainly darker than every album that the band created, especially Anywhere But Here. I dig that the band recorded this at a church in Woodstock, and that they were going for a live, raw sound.
SW: I love that. Let’s be honest: I think that this album should’ve been ranked #3 or even #2.
AL: One of us disagrees.
SW: My taste is just out of (your) reach.
AL: I mean, I really do dig most of the songs. Also, “Keep In Mind, Transmogrification Is A New Technology” is their best song title.
SW: One of us agrees.
3. Sunnyland (2018)
AL: This album brought me back to what first won me over about the band. The production is, for lack of a better word, sunnier than its predecessor, and the material is just as dark. It also had a great live feel that they attempted for with Black Lines, but in a cleaner fashion.
SW: That was detailed in the best way. You just gave us all a piece of your heart.
AL: Thank you. It’s hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
SW: HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?
AL: That’s one of my favorite songs from the album. Along with “Stay The Same” and “Piece Of Your Heart,” I’m obsessed with Sunnyland.
SW: Band, make another LP soon!
2. Mayday Parade (2011)
AL: If they do, it should sound like this. Best mix/production from the band, hands down!
SW: If only this was the record that came out on the major label!
AL: I agree! It’s a big statement to have a self-titled record. It perfectly encapsulates what I believe Mayday Parade is.
SW: You’re dead right.
AL: It’s priceless.
SW: Speaking of which, let’s go back to the beginning…
1. A Lesson In Romantics (2007)
AL: This is my favorite Mayday Parade album and has defined who I am as both a person AND artist.
SW: The hero sings in this scene.
